Automatic cake-rack.



S. W. JONES 6 A. W. POSTLETHWAITL AUTOMATIC CAKE RACK. APPLICATION FILED SEPTA, 1914.

1 1 7 1 ,4142 1 Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

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Accny a marine srains PATENT ora ion.

SEABORN w. 'JoNEs AND ALONZO w. 'ros tnTmzvAr-Tn, or SAN ANTONIO, Taxes."

AUTOMATIC CAKE-RACK.

To all whom it mag concern: Be it known that we, SEABORN W. JONES.

and ALoNzo W. PosT ET wAn'E, citizens of,

The device forming the subject matter v of this application is a display rackgadaptedto be employed in connection with receptacles of that general type in which crackers, cakes and like merchandise are displayed.

The invention aims to provide a novel.

means whereby, through the instrumentality tilted, thereby to effect an opening of the lids thereof, through the medium of flexible elements which are operatively connected with the lids and with the frame upon which the shelf is mounted to swing.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel "form of locking mechanism coacting with the shelf to hold the shelf in a rearwardly swung position, thereby to incline the receptacles and to hold the lids thereof open. p

It is within the scope of the invention to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the present invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view-- which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides inthe combination and .arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing :Figure 1 is a front elevation showing the structure as the same will appear when the lids on the receptacles are closed; Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section of the structure shown in Fig. 1, the parts in Fig. 2 being disclosed as they will appear whenthe lids on the receptacles are closed; Fig. 3 is a cross section similar to Fig. 2, but showing the parts as they will appear when the lids are opened, the re- Specification of LettersPa'tent. Patented Feb, 15,1916 Application filed September 4, SeiiailIo; 860,218.

cep'tacles in Figs. 2 vande 'being indicated by dotted line showings.

,In carrying out the present invention there isprovided a supporting structure or:

frame which may be of any desired form.f

In the present instance, the frame is shown as embodying cornerposts 1. .nAt-the front.

of the frame, the corner posts 1 are united by a bottombar 2 and at the, rear ofthe.

frame, the posts 1 are united by abottom bar 3. Near the bottom. of'theframe and r I at the endsithereof, thejposts are united by lower end bars 4. AtQthei. front I of the frame, the posts l are unitedyby a top bar. 5. At the rear of the frame-and, at the top thereof, the postsl are connected by a rear barb. ,Near to zthetopof'the frame and at the end-s of the frame, the posts'l-are united .by end bars 7. Exten'ded between the end bars 7 is a longitudinal bar 8.- The posts are connected intermediate end bars 9.

The invention includes .a :swinging shelf embodying aplatform 10, a rear wall. 11, a front wall .12 and end walls 14L,the latter.

projecting toan: appreciable degree above 7.

construction,considered transversely and? is adapted to move gravitationally into the positionsho-wn in Fig. 2,under which circumstances, the platform 10 will be disposed horizontally.

Mounted upon the platform 10 and retained by the walls 11 and 12 are receptacles 16, each receptacle 16 being equipped with I a hinged lid 17. 7

Eyes 18 are inserted into the forward face of the longitudinal bar 8 and assembled with the eyes 18 are flexible elements 19 which may be light chains or the like. The flexible elements l9 carry hooks 20 which are adapted'to be engaged to the forward, free edges of the lids 17 of the receptacles 16.

A brace 21 is located between certain of the receptacles 16, the rear end of the brace 21 being secured as indicated at 22 to the platform 10. At its forward end, the brace 21 is provided with a downwardly prolonged extension 23 to which is secured a handle 24. This portion 23 of the brace 21 forms a keeper, in which is fashioned a shoulder 25. Below the shoulder 25, the keeper is curved to form a cam 26, the rear edge of which is secured as shown at 27 to the platform portion 10 of the swinging shelf.

The invention includes a latch 28 of any desired form, the same being pivotally connected as shown at 29 with some accessible portion of the frame, as, for instance, the bottom bar 2. The latch 28 is constrained by a spring 30 to bear against the cam portion 26 of the keeper.

In practical operation, the parts normally appear as shown in Fig. 2. The platform 10 stands horizontally, the lids 17 on the receptacles 16 are closed, the flexible elements l9 hang slack, and the nose of the latch 28 is constrained by the spring 30 to bear against the lower portion of the cam 26.

Through the medium of the handle 24, the forward edge, of the platform 10 may be swung downwardly and rearwardly. Under such circumstances, the cam 26 will ride downwardly along the nose of the latch 28, the latter ultimately hooking over the shoulder 25, the parts then appearing as shown in Fig. 3. By the operation above described, the upper ends of the receptacle 16 will be tilted downwardly and forwardly, thus tightening up the flexible elements 19 and drawing the lids 17 of the receptacles to open positions.

When it is desired to restore the parts to the positions shown in Fig. 2, the nose of the latch 28 is disengaged from the shoulder 25 whereupon, under the action of gravity, the swinging shelf and the receptacles thereon will move in the position shown in Fig. 2.

It is to be observed that the spring pressed latch 28, bearing against the keeper,

acts as a cushion when the platform and the receptacle are swung from the position of Fig. 3 to the position of Fig. 2.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is In a device of the class described, a frame; a shelf; a receptacle removably mounted on the shelf and having a hinged lid; end walls upstanding from the shelf; pivot elements carried by the frame and engaging the end walls; a flexible member the rear end of for preventing the receptacle from sliding off the shelf when the shelf is tilted; the pivot elements engaging the end walls in approximate horizontal alinement with but slightly above the center of gravity of the receptacle when the latter is full, thereby to effect an approximate balancing of the shelf and the receptacle, to prevent undue strains on the flexible member when the receptacle and the shelf are tilted forwardly, and to prevent an inversion of the shelf and the receptacle.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have hereto aflixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

SEABORN W. JONES. ALONZO W. POSTLETHWAITE- Witnesses:

ESTHER HASTINGS, LESLIE BURNSIDE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

